


Cold

by glitteringnights



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars: Jedi: Fallen Order (Video Game)
Genre: Cal is the sweetest, Comfort, F/M, He just wants to help Merrin, New Lives, Nightsister Culture (Star Wars), Nightsisters (Star Wars), adjustments
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-14
Updated: 2021-03-14
Packaged: 2021-03-22 01:55:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,578
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/30031269
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/glitteringnights/pseuds/glitteringnights
Summary: Her first night aboard the Mantis, all Merrin notices is the cold. Cal helps her more than he knows, and suddenly, the warmth overtakes that chilling feeling she had before.
Relationships: Cal Kestis/Merrin
Comments: 2
Kudos: 33





	Cold

On her first night on the Mantis, the one thing Merrin noticed was the cold. 

At noon, Dathomir was ablaze with life. The sun cast the already red planet in brighter hues, the rich reds and browns looking like fire all along the landscape. Very rarely did the heat give way to humidity, Dathomir was a dry planet. 

At night, when the sun set, the cool breeze set in. It was comfortable, never enough to give Merrin cause to seek out additional layers while she tried to sleep. The night was always a welcomed feel after a day in the sun. 

But now, Merrin, unaccustomed to the sleek ship, the metal that surrounded her, felt as if the cold was seeping deep into her bones. 

This was not like Dathomir. 

Cere, Greez, and Cal had all gone to sleep. The Jedi, Cal, had regretfully informed her that the two rooms were taken up by the elder crew members, but had kindly offered her his cot in the engine room. Merrin considered, but declined his offer. She couldn’t imagine sleep next to the engine when the rumble could already be heard and felt from out front. 

So, Merrin was sitting on the couch that rounded the holotable, her knees pulled up to her chest, as she suppressed a shiver. 

This would take some getting used to, she supposed.

But it was better than being alone. 

The nightsister sighed, taking in the interior of the ship for the first time, fully. She’d never been on a ship, much less a luxury yacht. Narrow and slim, but felt oddly homey, with the time her new cremates spent on it. 

What would her sisters think, she thought to herself with a wistful shake of her head, to see her traveling off of Dathomir, with Jedi? How far the Nightsisters had come—she still wasn’t sure if that was necessarily a good thing. 

Merrin was so lost in thought that she did not notice the ginger haired Jedi come out from the back of the ship. Only when the clink of his boots echoed up to where she sat did she look to see. 

He was making his way over to her, with a small smile on his face, carrying something Merrin couldn’t make out in the low lighting. 

Cal took a tentative seat next to her, setting something down near his feet, and asked, “How are you adjusting?”

Merrin regarded him in the dark, the shadows playing over his face reminded her of the silhouette of the animals that traversed the plains of her planet when the sun faded into the horizon. 

“As well as expected,” she replied. Cal nodded once. 

“It was like that for me, too. You’ll get used to it, it just takes some time.” 

Merrin didn’t answer. She did better with silence, something she had become accustomed to. 

“Oh,” Cal looked to his lap where he’d set whatever he was holding earlier. “I brought this for you, sorry.”

She watched, curious, as he unfolded it and gently put it around her shoulders. A blanket. She pulled it around herself tightly and sunk into the welcomed warmth. The shiver faded, but the sting of cold was still felt. 

“Why are you sorry?”

Cal gave her a small shrug and a lazy smile, “That I didn’t give it to you earlier. I was looking in the back... I don’t really know where Greez keeps half his extra stuff. It’s kind of a mess in the storage area.”

“I see,” she said, her fingers fidgeting with the exposed edges of the blanket. After a few beats of quiet, Merrin cleared her throat, “Tell me what it was like when you came onboard, Cal Kestis.” 

She watched Cal look at her, that smile still in place, “The first day was chaotic, at first. An inquisitor was chasing me, so I couldn’t really just... walk onto the ship.” Ah, an inquisitor. Cere and Cal had explained what they were, who was hunting them, earlier in the day. He shook his head, his voice taking on a humorous tone, “It was more like I jumped on while Trilla—the inquisitor—was racing after me. She ended up on the outside of the ship... and we couldn’t really relax until we were in hyperspace, on our way to Bogano.”

Merrin mulled over the story. It seemed that, ever since Cal had joined the Mantis, he’d never had time during the day to just be idle. He must enjoy times like these, she thought. “And your first night?” 

He shifted to put his elbows on his knees, looking at the powered off table, “It was... different. On Bracca, I had my routine, and I was alone in my apartment. Weird, is how I’d describe the change. Good, now, but weird back then.” Cal propped one hand against his cheek and turned to her. “I’m sure that’s how you’re feeling.”

Merrin nodded, “Yes. My life on Dathomir... was limited, I know that. But the sounds, the feeling of the ship, rattling, throughout space... it’s like nothing I’ve ever experienced. I know all of Dathomir, it was comforting in that way… You are right, weird, yes, very weird.”

“Well, just know that there’s always someone who understands,” Cal said, straightening his back. Merrin heard the shuffle of his boot, unable to see it in the dark. A small clink followed. 

He leaned down and grabbed whatever he had previously set down, “This, too.” He held it out to her, and Merrin looked at him apprehensively. “It’s just tea,” he said shyly, “I thought it might help you sleep.”

Merrin took the small ceramic mug from him and brought it up to the lips. The mixture went down smooth, it reminded her of a herbal blend back home, soothing and balmy. The cold ebbed away even more. “I didn’t even hear you brew it.”

He watched her set it on the table, “I like to think I’m just a master tea maker who knows how to make the process as effortless as possible.” When she cast him a glance filled with humored doubt, the grin on his face grew, “I’m kidding. The brewer is just quiet. But, you looked pretty focused when I came out.”

“I was,” she said quietly. 

“About anything specific?” He inquired softly, trying not to pry.

Merrin took another sip of the tea. “Just Dathomir,” she said, “how different everything will be. How it is, now.”

“I get it,” Cal replied, letting his hand drop to rest in front of him. “I want to make this transition as smooth as possible for you, Merrin. So, please let me know if you need anything, at all.”

Merrin observed his soft expression, taking into account his demeanor. Cal was a warrior, who took on the countless nightbrothers she’d sent his way. He was skilled with a blade, as demonstrated when they fought Malicos together. But this, the look on his face, the kindness in his words she’d first heard when he came back to Dathomir, and again as he held out the astrium, this was not how warriors acted in Merrin’s culture. Nightsisters and brothers were fierce and vigil, never stepping down, never showing weakness if it could be helped. But Cal... he was brave, and a little foolish, yes, but he was kind. Merrin had not known such kindness in years, save for Ilyana. Nightsisters relied on emotion to fuel their magicks, but compassion was different. Cal was... sweet, but powerful. Pure of heart, but willing to fight without regret. He was different , a good different. Cal was a beacon in this new life she had adopted, something Merrin knew she wanted to keep by her side. At this moment, he felt right. The heat that came from the blanket and the toast of the tea seemed to pale in comparison to how warm she felt in that moment, thinking about the Jedi. 

It was unbecoming of a Nightsister, she knew. 

But Merrin couldn’t help it. 

After what seemed like an eternity, Merrin spoke again, “That means a great deal to me.”

The slight quirky of his lips seemed to draw her in as he nodded. He looked so peaceful, so welcoming. He moved to stand. “Well, I’m gonna go to sleep for now. You know where to find me.” 

Merrin watched him walk up the small steps leading to the kitchen. A singe of panic ran through her, she knew she should say something more, before he retired for the night. 

“Thank you.”

Cal looked back at her shape in the shadows. “Thank you, for the blanket, the tea.” Her voice turned faint. “For everything, Cal.”

Even through the darkness, Merrin could see when he smiled, truly smiled, teeth and all. “Of course. Goodnight, Merrin.”

“Goodnight, Cal,” she said back, as his footsteps faded away. 

Merrin pulled the blanket from her shoulders, wrapping it around her front as she laid down. 

She found that she was happy, the most she had been in the last few years. Happy for the future, for her future. Happy for what was to come. 

Everything was different, now, but a different that would preserve through it all, she could sense it. This was her life, the Last Sister of Dathomir, and she couldn’t be more grateful. That immeasurable cold was gone, and she felt warm from the inside out. 

Merrin slept for the first time in years that night.

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you liked this one! It’s just a small one-shot I wrote to help me with writers block.


End file.
